The next morning, in front of the palace.
A large number of rebels had gathered outside the palace gates, while the royal army inside remained on high alert, ready for battle at any moment.
King Cobra stood atop the palace wall, shouting down to the rebel leader, Koza, from afar.
"Koza, is this really necessary?"
"Once the fighting begins, how many innocent lives will be lost?!"
Cobra's voice was filled with emotion.
He regarded the people as his own family and could not bear to see them slaughtering one another.
"Your Majesty, things have gone too far. This is no longer something I can stop."
Koza did not show the spirit of a rebel leader. Instead, his expression was heavy and grim.
Just yesterday, he had been hopeful. With Crocodile's conspiracy exposed, he had intended to negotiate with the royal army.
But overnight, the middle-level rebels had gone mad, stirring up anger throughout the ranks.
No matter what he said, they still placed all the blame on Cobra and were determined to storm the palace.
Now, Koza found himself carried by the will of the rebellion, unable to make decisions on his own.
"Chief, why waste words with him? Kill the tyrant!"
A middle-ranking rebel shouted passionately. On his hat was the symbol of Baroque Works.
"Kill the tyrant!"
"Kill the tyrant!"
The rebel army suddenly roared, their killing intent boiling over.
"Your Majesty, give the order to counterattack!"
Chaka turned to Cobra urgently.
It had come to this. They could no longer afford to show mercy.
"No. I will not harm them. Alabasta belongs to all its people."
Cobra closed his eyes in pain.
He could not bring himself to attack his own citizens.
If his death could put an end to this war, he would gladly give his life.
"Haha. What a noble monarch."
Crocodile's mocking voice rang out as he suddenly appeared behind Cobra, with Nico Robin at his side.
He showed nothing but disdain for Cobra's soft-heartedness, but he was happy to take advantage of it.
Seeing Crocodile appear, Chaka transformed into his jackal form and Pell into his falcon form, both instantly on guard.
"King Cobra, take me to see the Poneglyph."
Crocodile ignored Chaka and Pell entirely, speaking directly to Cobra.
"Kill me if you want, but you will never get what is written there!"
Cobra refused without hesitation.
The secrets his family had guarded for generations, especially something so dangerous, could not be allowed to fall into the hands of a man like Crocodile.
"You do not care about your own life, but what about the people outside?"
Crocodile smiled cruelly.
He picked up a Den Den Mushi and gave a simple command. Outside, the rebels immediately grew more excited and aggressive.
The rebel forces surged toward the palace, forcing the royal army to prepare for battle.
Seeing the inevitable clash, Cobra closed his eyes, his expression filled with anguish.
On one side was the secret his family had sworn to protect. On the other, the lives of thousands of his people. The choice tormented him.
"…Fine. I will take you there."
Cobra finally spoke, his voice heavy with despair.
The decision seemed to drain all the strength from his body, and in that moment, he appeared much older.
"Your Majesty!"
Chaka and Pell both shouted, trying to stop him.
"There is no need to say anything more. I have made my decision."
Cobra shook his head, cutting them off. This was his choice to make.
"Very good. Let's go."
Crocodile grinned, pleased.
Cobra gave one last look toward the battlefield below, then turned and led Crocodile and Robin toward the burial chamber beneath the palace where the Poneglyph was hidden.
The moment they left, several rebels smiled coldly and stirred up the crowd even further.
In the next instant, the rebel army launched their assault on the royal army.
The battle had begun.
Chaka and Pell wanted to chase after Cobra but were quickly trapped in the chaos of the fighting and could not break away.
…
When Caelan and his group arrived at the palace, the two sides were already locked in combat. Blood stained the sand, and soldiers clashed everywhere.
"How… how could this happen? They've already started fighting!"
"No! I have to stop them!"
Vivi's face turned pale as she watched the brutal scene unfold before her. She stepped forward anxiously, wanting to intervene.
"It's useless. They are already consumed by the fight. Who would you persuade now?"
"To handle this, you need to be direct."
Caelan reached out to stop Vivi, speaking calmly.
Vivi looked at him, startled, not understanding what he meant.
The next moment, an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth from Caelan, sweeping across the entire battlefield.
"Boom!"
Every soldier on both sides felt as though they had been struck in the head by a hammer.
Their bodies trembled, cold sweat dripping down their backs as if they were prey caught in the gaze of a hungry beast.
Weapons clattered to the ground as soldiers froze in place, stunned.
All eyes turned to Caelan.
After using his Conqueror's Haki the day before, Caelan's control had already improved significantly. Now he could direct the pressure exactly where he wanted.
Caelan nodded in satisfaction, then, under the watchful gaze of both armies, walked forward with Vivi to the center of the battlefield.
"It's Caelan! And Princess Vivi! Everyone, stop!"
Koza, who had been struggling to regain control of the rebels, immediately shouted out.
Caelan's display of power reignited his hope.
With the force of Caelan's Haki and their leader's order, the rebel army quickly calmed down.
"It's Princess Vivi! And bounty hunter Caelan! Stand down!"
Chaka and Pell, equally surprised and relieved, called out to the king's army.
When the soldiers saw Vivi, they knelt down immediately, showing their loyalty to the royal family.
"Explain everything to them."
Caelan leaned down and whispered to Vivi.
Vivi nodded firmly, stepping forward to face the armies and clearly explaining Crocodile's plot.
"The king has been wrongfully accused!"
The soldiers of the royal army erupted in cheers.
"What?! How could this be?!"
The rebels were stunned. The truth shattered their beliefs in an instant.
Though some resisted the truth at first, when Koza stood by Vivi's side and confirmed her words, the rebels had no choice but to accept it.
Between Caelan's overwhelming presence and Vivi's heartfelt explanation, the last flames of rebellion were extinguished.
"To protect the people, King Cobra has been forced by Crocodile to take him to the royal family's hidden chamber."
Chaka and Pell approached Vivi and Caelan, their faces grave as they reported the situation.
"What?! Father…!"
Vivi's eyes welled up with tears. She was overwhelmed with worry.
"Lead the way. We're going to find Crocodile."
"Your father is safe for now, but that may not last."
Caelan picked up Vivi, his voice calm but serious.
There was no time to waste. They needed to move quickly.
"Yes!"
Vivi nodded firmly, pointing out the direction.
Holding Vivi securely, Caelan sprinted toward the chamber beneath the palace.
He left Nami and Tashigi behind at the palace to hold the line.
(To be continued.)
***
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